Lady Bears Soccer Falls to Albany Pharmacy in HVWAC Opener

PATCHOGUE, N.Y. – The St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) women's soccer team opened their 2012 Hudson Valley Women's Athletic Conference (HVWAC) campaign with a 5-0 loss to the Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences on Sunday afternoon at the SJC Athletic Complex.

Albany Pharmacy (5-3, 3-0 HVWAC) entered the contest undefeated in conference play and ranked #4 in the latest United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) coaches' poll released on Friday. The Panthers got on the board early with a goal by Sarah Cope on a through ball up the middle for a breakaway in the 2nd minute of action. Cope found the back of the net twenty minutes later to push the Panther lead to 2-0 and added a second half goal to complete the hat trick to lead the Panthers.

St. Joseph's (1-2-1, 0-1 HVWAC) was led in net by junior goalkeeper Nicole Farinella (East Patchogue, NY/Bellport HS) who faced 33 shots and recorded 18 saves on the afternoon including 12 in the second half.

Freshman Pamela Chernyakhovsky (Brooklyn, NY/Leon M. Goldstein) and junior Cynthia Gambino (Brooklyn, NY/Bishop Kearney) recorded the lone shots on goal for the Lady Bears both stopped by Alexandra Weston who earned the shutout for the Panthers.

St. Joseph's will look to bounce back against Medgar Evers on Thursday, September 27 in a HVWAC matchup at the Aviator Sports Complex. Kickoff for the doubleheader begins with the Lady Bears at 6:00 p.m. followed by the Bears at 8:00 p.m.